This Thursday August 30th 8:00am – 5:30pm at the Omni Charlotte Hotel, International House in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, Global Ties US and the Palmetto Council for International Visitors will host the very first Diplomacy Begins Here Regional Summit on Economic Development and Entrepreneurship in Charlotte. The theme of the summit is “Global Connectivity and how it Drives Local Economic Development and Entrepreneurship”. This summit is the culmination of work that has been done over the past six years by the Citizen Diplomacy Department at International House to bring increasing numbers of business and entrepreneurship focused international delegations to Charlotte.
The Summit will be a showcase of local talent. We will be welcoming members of our 90 city Global Ties US network, along with Department of State representatives and Washington DC partners to Charlotte, and giving them a window into the global business hub that is our city and region. “We want to host more and more international business and entrepreneur groups in our area and we are focused on promoting Charlotte to the world” said Johnelle Causwell, Citizen Diplomacy Program Director at International House.
We will be having panel discussions and workshops with international businesses and government leaders covering the following topics:
- Economic Impact of the Latin American Community in the Carolinas
- How the Carolinas are Attracting Foreign Businesses
- Craft Breweries Impact on the Carolinas Economic Development
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles, All Aboard for Economic Development:
Featuring the City of Charlotte’s Office of Economic Development, The Charlotte Airport,
Intermodaland the I-77 Alliance
- The Power of Women Entrepreneurs in the Carolinas
- The Win-Win Impact of IVLP and Other Exchange Programs at Home and Abroad
During the summit we will be hosting a “Pitch Zone” where, in the style of speed dating, entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas to experts from Packard Place, Ventureprise, Start Charlotte and Enventys and get immediate feedback. We will also be raffling off 30 minutes of one on one time with business and community leaders.
Our local event partners include the Charlotte Regional Partnership, the City of Charlotte’s Office of Economic Development, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, and UNCC’s Office of International Programs. Congresswoman Alma Adams and The Consulate General of Mexico in Raleigh are confirmed to give a welcome address. State and local elected officials will be in attendance and participating during the summit including Councilwoman LaWana Mayfield, Councilman Greg Phipps, County Commissioner Matthew Ridenhour and NC Representative John Autry. The Honorary Consuls of Japan, Germany, Ireland, Hungary, Italy, Nicaragua and Mexico are confirmed to attend. We will also have representatives from six branches within the Department of State including Bureau Chiefs, Directors and Recruiters serving on panels and leading discussions.
For more information about the Citizen Diplomacy Department or about International House, please contact Johnelle Causwell at (561)-543-0740 or jcauswell@ihclt.org
